400 
CONCERNING GIRAFFES. 
THE recent acquisition by the British Museum of speci- 
mens from East Central Africa and elsewhere has 
brought into prominence the question of how best to desig- 
nate the various forms of giraffe to be met with in different 
regions of Ethiopian Africa, that to say, whether 
they should be regarded as distinct species, local races of a 
single species, or mere, so to say, accidental variations not 
worthy of systematic separation. The question has been 
discussed at length in a paper by the present writer read 
before the Zoological Society on February 
2, when a number of paintings and photo- 
graphs of entire specimens, skins, and 
skulls: were exhibited. 
Without entering into details, it may be 
mentioned, as a matter of common know- 
ledge, that the giraffes of northern Africa 
—including the typical Giraffa camelopard- 
alis of Linnzeus—are characterised by the 
presence in the male of three horns, sup- 
plemented in some cases by a rudimentary 
pair on the occiput, and their white legs. 
Giraffes of this general type extend at least 
as far south as the neighbourhood of Lake 
Baringo and Mount Elgon, that is to say, 
considerably to the southward of the 
equator. The accompanying illustration (Fig. 2) exhibits 
the aforesaid cranial features in the giraffe of the Baringo 
district. 
On the other hand, 
1S 
when the southern districts of 
& 
Fic. s.—Head-and neck of North Transvaal bull Giraffe, presented to the 
British Museum by Mr. Rowland Ward, to show Southern type. 
continent are reached, we find that the frontal horn of the 
adult bull giraffes has been reduced to a more or less in- 
conspicuous irregular boss, while the have become 
spotted right down to the hoofs. Giraffes displaying these 
two characteristics occur as far north as the northern Trans- 
NO. 1791, VOL. 69] 
legs 
NATURE 
the | 
[ FEBRUARY 25, 1904 
vaal, although, so far as can be judged from a single speci- 
men, the form from that region (Fig. 1) differs decidedly in 
its markings and colour from the well-known giraffe of the 
Cape district, as it also does in certain features of the 
| skull. 
Fic. 2.—Head and neck of old bull of Baringo Giraffe, presented 
to the British Museum by Sir H. H. Johnston, to show Northern 
type. (From ‘‘ Guide to Manimalia in British Museum.") 
Apparently, although our information is far from being 
complete as is desirable, the nearest approach to a 
transition between these two extreme types is displayed by 
the giraffes of the Kilimanjaro, district, which have the 
lower portion of the legs partially spotted, and tend to show 
less development of the third horn. Not that the known 
forms in any way form a complete transition between the 
northern and southern types. On the contrary, they dis- 
play markings peculiarly their own, and quite unlike those 
of any of the others. 
It has been already stated that there are two distinguish- 
able forms of giraffe belonging to the southern type (and 
there is a third in Angola). It should be added that equally 
marked local differences occur in the case of the northern 
type, the aforesaid Baringo giraffe being strikingly different 
as regards markings and colour from the Nubian animal, 
while a giraffe brought by Major Powell-Cotton from the 
southward of Lado (just north of the equator) appears 
different from both. Then, again, there is the very 
strikingly coloured Somali giraffe, which, while agreeing 
with the northern type in cranial characters, strikes out a 
line altogether its own in the matter of marking and colour, 
although in both these respects it merely displays an ultra 
and bizarre development of the northern type. Nevertheless, 
it has been regarded as indicating a species apart from the 
one including all the other forms. 
To discuss further the characteristic features of the fore- 
going and other forms of giraffe until the paper in question 
has been published would obviously be  inadvisable- 
Sufficient has, however, been stated to afford a general idea 
of the question at issue, namely, are these various local 
forms of giraffe constant, and, if so, should they be re- 
garded as species or races? 
